Race report by Patrick Hanhart / Team Green'n Fit
Just one week after the SparkassenGiro in Bochum, the eighth race in the German Cycling Cup took place in Dresden last weekend.
Stefan, Thomas, Pascal and I started on Saturday afternoon to make our way to Dresden. After a five-hour drive we reached the campsite directly on the Elbe, where we quickly set up our tents to relax a bit.
On Sunday we had to get up at 6:00 a.m., have a quick bite to eat, then the starting documents were picked up and shortly afterwards we had to warm up, because the start for us on the 63 km loop was already at 8:50 a.m . When the starting shot was fired, things got down to business straight away. Since the route itself is not very demanding, apart from the two 180° hairpin bends, everyone tried to break up the peloton with the high speed. For me, however, the only motto was not to fall again, and so I stayed out of everything and just rode with the field. Stefan and Pascal did things differently, repeatedly following and thwarting attacks, but also initiating some themselves.
However, on the 20 km long lap, which had to be driven three times, no group was able to pull away decisively. The last 7 km of the race turned out to be the fastest and toughest, as the local team Picardellics Dresden made a move here and set a very high pace. Since I was way too far behind, it was then sealed for me that I wouldn't be able to intervene in the sprint. Stefan and Pascal did much better. Pascal finished on a good 35th place and Stefan on a 15th place, whereby he still got the 1st place in his age group.
After the award ceremony it was time to pack up and go home. Now it's time for me to train diligently and recharge my batteries in order to be fit again for my last race of the year in Münster.